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It's that time of year again! We are knee-deep in MLB spring training news and notes, which means fantasy baseball managers should be knee-deep in research and preparation for those upcoming drafts and auctions.
You know what they say; you can't win a league with a good draft, but you can lose it with a bad one! So, without further ado, let's take a look at three fantasy baseball hitters who are primed for bounce-back seasons in 2025.
This group of fantasy baseball hitters has one major factor in common: injury impacted their 2024 campaign. However, I'll explain below why each of these sluggers has a good chance to provide value this year compared to their draft-day price tags, assuming they can stay healthy this time around.
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Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
Kwan's 2024 was a tale of two halves. At the All-Star break, the speedy leadoff hitter for the Guardians was leading the league with a .352 batting average. Then, perhaps due to a lingering hamstring injury and some back inflammation that eventually led to season-ending IL stints, the lefty hit just .201 in the second half of the year.
With strong gains in the power department (14 home runs), nearly identical walk and strikeout rates, and even a handful of stolen bases, it was evident that Kwan's approach as a table-setting contact hitter was legitimately working in front of a group of dangerous Cleveland hitters. When healthy, the 27-year-old outfielder might be one of the most underrated top-of-the-order hitters in the game.
Steven Kwan is one of the game's elite contact hitters, but in 2024 he more than doubled his career-high home run total (in only 122 games!) 💪
The @CleGuardians' All-Star left fielder breaks down how he was able to generate more power.
MLB Network + @TMobile pic.twitter.com/0kEC4isRMM
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 13, 2025
Kwan appears to be back to his old self this spring, hitting .313 with a .343 on-base percentage and one homer thus far in spring training. The Guardians are primed to contend once again, leading on a bunch of run production from the top half of their lineup.
Whether it's a points or roto league, there is a ton to like about Kwan in 2025, and his injury-marred second half last year has provided some draft-day value this March.
Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds
After an impressive MLB debut in 2023 in which McLain hit .290 with 16 homers and 14 stolen bases in just over half a season, he devastatingly injured his shoulder right around this time last year, missing all of 2024 as a result. However, he's back now, and he's ready to pick up where he left off.
A .344 BABIP during his time in the bigs does bring some speculation about sustainability throughout a full season, but a 33.6 percent hard hit rate along with 27 barrels in half a season show that there's some legitimate pop here. The 25-year-old has always done an excellent job of hitting the ball hard in the air, evidenced by his high HR/FB rates at every level of competition.
An ADP between picks 75 and 100 don't fully do justice for this 30-30 threat who could also bring a plus batting average to the table. McLain has been hitting ahead of his lethal infield mate, Elly De La Cruz, which should lead to plenty of runs if both can stay healthy in a hitter-friendly ballpark.
Matt McLain's Max EV in 2023 was 109.9 mph.
He hit one 112.1 mph today. pic.twitter.com/taC4IsfJ7U
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) March 18, 2025
It's unfortunate that McLain's sophomore campaign had to be delayed due to his shoulder injury, but early indications in Spring Training are backing up the fact that this young five-tool player is ready to play a major role for the Reds this year and beyond. Now is your chance to scoop up McLain in the middle rounds of your drafts, or for $10-$14 in your auctions in both points and roto leagues.
Josh Jung, Texas Rangers
Jung was primed for a massive 2024 season for the Rangers, as fantasy managers far and wide were ready to see the power breakout from the 26-year-old third baseman.
Unfortunately, he injured his wrist in the fourth game of the year, and he was placed on the shelf until the end of July with the injury. When he returned for the final 43 games of the season, he wasn't himself, hitting five home runs with a .248 average and a 26 percent strikeout rate.
When the dreadful season (for both him and the Rangers) finally came to a close, Jung opted for another wrist procedure to hopefully clear the ailment for good. Now, he's more ready than ever to pick up where he left off in 2023 when he ran into 23 homers in just 122 games for Texas.
Seeing good things from rangers 3B Josh Jung this Spring, even if it is only 37 PA
🔸16.2% walk rate (career 5.2%)
🔸16.2% strikeout rate (career 29.6%)
🔸83.3% contact rate (career 72.7%)
🔸7% swinging strike rate (career 13.9%)
🔸t-2nd most BBE w/ 100+ MPH EV200+ ADP in NFBC pic.twitter.com/tf59R5KmIx
— the Fantasy Gospel™ (@fantasy_gospel) March 13, 2025
So far in spring training, Jung has just one home run and the average is lower than he'd like, but that will allow fantasy managers to keep the hype train in the station for a little longer.
Assuming health, the former eighth overall pick out of Texas Tech is a candidate for 30 homers and LOADS of run production in what should be a big year for the Rangers offense. Plan on using a middle-round pick or look for some auction budget value on what could be a cheap source of plus power in your upcoming drafts.
Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays
It would be remiss of me to end this list with anyone other than Bo Bichette. He's become everyone's front-runner for a bounce-back season, but it's not without good reason. The 27-year-old phenom played just half a season last year, battling injuries between long IL stints, and his stats were just as disappointing as his unavailability by season's end.
Coming off a .306 average in 2023, the Blue Jays shortstop hit just .225 along with his steep power decline (four home runs). But here comes the good news, Bichette's strikeout rate stayed strong at just 19 percent, and he walked the most he has since his debut season at 6 percent. He still managed to hit 30.5 percent of his balls hard, but that led to a low 5.3 percent HR/FB rate and a nearly impossible .269 BABIP.
Bo Bichette literally hit this baseball out of the stadium ... pic.twitter.com/xXGujhV2u8
— MLB (@MLB) March 10, 2025
Bichette is primed and ready for a big bounce-back campaign, evidenced by his solid spring training. He's hitting .353 with two round-trippers in 34 spring at-bats so far. Don't let one down year change your overall opinion of this young, special talent. Buy the dip on Bichette.
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